America, and the culture of the US are so very different from your own country and it’s culture.  Different, especially America’s idea of different, can be pretty dazzling.  I’m sure you still have ‘stars and stripes’ in your eyes since you’ve returned home from ESL study abroad.  Revise how you think about your native country.  Try to open your eyes, and see your own homeland with the same ardor and interest you had for your host country.

Be A Tourist

Travel within your country.  Become a tourist, and see all the sights.  When you experience your country from the perspective of a visitor you’ll find gems you didn’t know existed, in your own backyard.  Document your trip with photos and videos.  Consider writing a blog, or contact your country’s tourism board, and write an ongoing English language travel guide.  Fill it with the insider tips, and secret places that you know as a native.

Teach English

Does your more worldly perspective means you want to change what you see in your country?  Then consider getting involved to make a difference.  Take what you learned as a study abroad student in the US, and put it to good use.  English language skills can open doors for people.  Teach the basics of English to students and adults in your community.  You can also help students who want to follow in your footsteps, by contacting your local alumni branch, and working to increase student exchange opportunities.

Make A Change For The Better

Want to do still more?  Help bring awareness to a local issue by writing an English language op-ed.  Sometimes all it takes to change an issue, or injustice is to shine a bright light on it.

Returning home from study abroad often comes with mixed feelings.  Revise how you think about your native country.  Share what you love about your country with others, and do what you can to foster progress, and change where you think it’s needed.

Be inspired by Fabiola Rodriguez Ciampoli, William Boeing, I. M. Pei, Dian Fossey, Angela Davis, Desmond Tutu, Pierre Trudeau or thousands of others who used their study abroad experiences to change the world.